Mateo’s Message: A 501(c)(3) Charitable Organization
Mateo’s Message, based in St. Paul, Minnesota, was founded in 2023 to honor the memory of Mateo Swanson, who tragically died of accidental fentanyl poisoning. In August 2024, the initiative became an official nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives.
Our Vision: Thousands of lives saved through ready access and use of fentanyl test strips.
Our Mission: To inform, educate, encourage, and equip recreational users with knowledge and supplies to ensure the drugs they take are fentanyl-free.
Inform & Educate
We raise awareness about the fentanyl epidemic and promote the dissemination of harm reduction education, fentanyl test strips, and naloxone through collaboration with media and community members.
Encourage
We spread the message: “Pause. Take a Beat.”, to encourage a moment of reflection that could save a life. We seek out businesses and organizations in the community to partner with to make free test strips widely available.
Equip & Empower
We aim to keep our harm reduction stations stocked with naloxone and test strips. We also provide guidance for community members interested in sponsoring harm reduction stations.
Mateo’s Story
Our family was blessed with Mateo on June 27, 2001. At just four months old, he became the best thing that could have happened to us. Little did we know that our new Guatemalan brother would forever change our lives for the better.
From the beginning, Mateo made us better people. He challenged closed minds, advocated for those he felt were being slighted, and encouraged us all to be more culturally aware. Mateo grew up playing sports, being goofy, and even acting in a few plays. Some of his proudest achievements included graduating high school, completing an apprenticeship program in carpentry, starting his own LLC, and pursuing college multiple times. Mateo had a strong work ethic and worked steadily from the age of 14.
Just weeks before his passing, Mateo was preparing to return to school at UW-Eau Claire. He had been accepted into their Graphic Arts program and was scheduled to attend orientation the Friday of his funeral.
Mateo struggled with depression, anxiety, and PTSD from incidents in high school. He sought help through therapy and medications, including antidepressants and medical marijuana, but never found a therapist he truly connected with. Despite these challenges, Mateo flourished much of the time, trying hard not to let his struggles define him. While these difficulties were part of who he was, they were not what ultimately took his life—but they are important to share.
Mateo was a lovable, goofy, sensitive, passionate, assertive, kind-hearted, driven, LOUD, trustworthy, and trusting soul. He was loyal to a fault, defending his friends and family fiercely.
If you needed someone to stand by you and fight for what mattered to you, Mateo was that person. He was the friend you wish you had, and the son, brother, brother-in-law, cousin, nephew, grandson, and uncle we are all so lucky to have had. Mateo’s impact on our lives is immeasurable, and he will forever be missed.